A glimpse of the immense power of the working class if action is built
and coordinated across borders

On November 14th, millions of workers across Europe went on strike and
participated in mass protests in the first internationally-coordinated
strike action in Europe against austerity since the crisis began.
Protests and strikes took place in over 20 different countries in
response to the call by the European Trade Union Confederation – ETUC.
In Spain and Portugal in particular, where mass general strikes were
taking place, the protests were enormous. Also, a common feature of the
demos in Italy, Spain and Portugal was the unprecedented level of State
repression.

Socialistworld.net is publishing short reports from CWI activists who
participated in these mass protests. Further analysis and comments on
the significance of November 14 and what will flow from it will be
carried shortly.

Spain

In Spain, electricity consumption was plummeted almost immediately after
the stroke of midnight. Industry was paralysed reflecting an
overwhelmingly solid strike. Unions claim that 77% of salaried workers
downed tools, bringing all strategic sectors of the economy to a halt.
In local “barrios” throughout the country, a greater number of small and
local enterprises were shut, giving an expression both to the capitalist
crisis and credit crunch’s hammering of the “middle classes”, and the
tremendous activity carried out by thousands of local strike committees
and assemblies which mobilised locally for the action.

While the percentage of those called on to strike was higher than in
previous mobilisations, a slightly smaller number of workers joined the
strike. This was largely due to the criminal sectarianism of Basque
nationalist unions, ELA and LAB – which organise a majority of workers
in the region - who refused to call their members out.

This action is particularly absurd in the light of the international
mobilisation, and Iberian general strike which took place on 14-N. The
decision was met with significant discontent among the rank and file of
the unions whose historically militant class fighters share consciously
internationalist tradition. This mood compelled many organisations of
the nationalist movement, including EH Bildu and Aralar, to support the
mobilisations on 14N.

Perhaps the most powerful expression of the strike strength were the
huge demonstrations which kicked off one after another throughout the
Spanish state. In Sevilla, Andalucia, 100,000 reportedly marched.
500,000 took to the streets of the northern region, Galicia, which was
recently dubbed “pro-government” following regional elections! Finally,
the evening closed with demonstrations which numbered 1 million in both
Madrid and Barcelona. In Barcelona, the demonstration was so
unexpectedly big, it was eventually unable to move off and was
dispersed! Unions claim that throughout the state, over 5 million took
to the streets in over 130 towns and cities in the biggest
demonstrations yet seen. The huge power and militant anger which was
reflected in this solid strike must now be channelled into a continuous
and intensifying plan of action.

Socialismo Revolucionario (CWI) intervened in the strike and
demonstrations in 7 cities, fighting to popularise the call for a 48
hour strike, as the next step in a struggle to bring down the government
and its suicidal policies. The governments’ fundamental weakness and
fear of the mass of people was later reflected in the brutal repression
of demonstrators, thousands of which again surrounded the Madrid
parliament following the main demonstration.

Portugal

In Portugal thousands-strong protests took place in about 40 towns and
cities across the country. A militant mood was reflected in slogans such
as “Government get out, stop austerity”, “Down with the government,
traitor to the nation”, “The Troika cannot command here”, “Hunger,
misery and the IMF: get out”, “The street belongs to us, not the debt”,
etc.

The strike in itself was the biggest general strike of the 4 which have
taken place in recent years. The unions put the level participation in
the strike in many services at over 90% - especially in the transport
sector. Trains, metros and ferries closed. Refuse collection also ground
to a near halt and hospitals provided only minimum services. In Lisbon
the capital, demonstrators attempted to storm the Parliament building,
which was followed by unprecedented police repression in the evening.

Belgium

Liège

The FGTB regional section of ‘Liège-Huy-Waremme’ had called for a
general strike and a rally in front of the union headquarters. After the
rally a spontaneous protest of hundreds of people came together to go to
the building of the PS, a party responsible for austerity and whose
Liège’s local federation had dared to release a press
statement…supporting the general strike! Then, the protest went to the
City Hall where some speeches were given, particularly in solidarity
with the workers of ArcelorMittal.

La Louvière

The strike to protest Europe’s austerity measures has been a success in
La Louvière, where 2,000 people raised their fist to say “NO” to these
neoliberal policies. No buses or trains operated and most of the traffic
was blocked at the entrance to the city. Most school gates remained
closed. PSL-LSP activists were present to support the striking workers.
The atmosphere was marked by a sense of solidarity and determination to
continue the struggle and not just to limit it to one day of action. The
need for a plan of action by the organised working class is being felt
more than ever.

Charleroi

In Charleroi, the strike went very well. From 5am onwards, pickets were
set up at the SNCB (the railway company) and in a number of other
companies, mainly by steelworkers. The CGSP (public services’ union) had
a large delegation that blocked various places and organized filtering
blockades at the main entrances of the city. The delegation then left in
a demonstration towards the town hall, numbering about 3,000, who
invaded the building. The CSC (Catholic union) was also present. The
PSL-LSP activists were well received and have sold all the papers they
had with them. The idea of the necessity of a plan of action to build
for a European wide general strike was warmly welcome. Many shop
stewards said it was good to have this day of action and to strike, but
that on the other hand, it was poorly organized. Some sectors were on
strike others not. Consequently many workers did not know what to do.
The general opinion was that it would have been better to organize,
before the strike, general meetings in all workplaces, but also in the
workers districts, in the neighborhoods or even in the schools to
explain more concretely the austerity measures that the entire
population will suffer from. That would have convinced more workers
about the need to go on strike and allowed a better mobilisation.

Around 50 people attended a protest organised at short notice by
Coventry trade unions in solidarity with workers taking action across
Europe. Earlier in the day a walkout took place at the Tax Office
involving members of the PCS took place.

The rally was initiated by Coventry District Unison, and saw members
from the following unions take part – Unison, Unite, CWU, UCU, PCS, NUT,
TSSA, NUS, Coventry TUC and the pensioners group BPTUAA.

The crowd was addressed by speakers from a wide range of unions who made
excellent points; urging solidarity but also pointing out that this is a
crisis of the capitalist system that needs socialist policies to fight
back. Chants of ‘What do we want? A general strike! When do we want it?
NOW!’ rang out across Broadgate Square.

Several speakers pointed out the lack of action from the TUC, and that
we can’t afford to wait before fighting back. We need to build the
pressure in every union, every workplace, every community, for a 24 hour
general strike as part of a strategy to defeat the cuts – but at the
same time, we need to link this to the struggle for socialism, to put an
end to this dead end capitalist system. In other citris solidarity
protests were also organised.

Germany

Demonstrations took place in a number of cities in Germany including
Berlin. In Cologne between 500 and 600 people demonstrated on November
14th, in solidarity with the general strike in Southern Europe. The mood
was very combative. The DGB unions were conspicuous by their absence,
but the mobilization of 500 people in the middle of the week, done by
the left and anti-capitalist groups alone, was a success.

Solidarity

Members of the CWI and others also organised pickets in solidarity with
this struggle in Caracas, Venezuela and also in New York USA.